CDS / Light Sensor For External Wall Lamp

RDD

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14 Oct 2010
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Cheshire
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United Kingdom
I've got a wall lamp outside my front door and would like it to come on when it goes dark outside.

Now it would seem that at some point there has been a sensor (looks like a glass dome with electronics inside) that did the task screwed to the side of the porch and appears connected to the lamp looking at the wire trail, trouble is it doesn't seem to work as when the switch is flicked it comes on night or day.

It may need adjusting if possible (I will look tonight) but if not does anyone know of a replacement sensor that would do the job? Everything I find on Google is a bulky thing which also has a motion sensor, I don't need or want that feature.

Any help appreciated, push come to shove I can take a photo if I get stuck with any of the potential settings or to identify what this glass dome thing actually is!
 
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Most PIRs will do it. That is assuming you have live, neutral and the switched output to the lamp at the PIR's location.
 
The glass dome thing is probably a photocell.

Is it about 2 1/2" inces in diameter?

If so twist it anticlockwise about a quater turn (you'll feel it click) and then pull it upwards off it's base.

Switch your light switch on. See if the light still comes on now, and let us know your findings.
 
Yep it’s pretty much exactly how you describe it, I can see the cell under the glass on closer inspection.

I had a look last night and unscrewed the whole thing from the wall, it has three wires (live, neutral, earth I think but there's next to no play in the wire to get a better look) going into the back, I expected it to be a loop like a switch but instead it seems that it’s controlled by the lamp, or vice versa, as there is only one wire going to it and that goes into the lamp base.

I will try to see if the dome unscrews but I shone a torch through it to see if I could find any way of adjusting it and couldn’t see anything.
 
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Possible direct replacement. Does the existing socket have three slots in it, one with a small flange on one edge? If so that's the one.

PS I do hope that your cable has three insulated conductors and an earth?
 

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